The Perfect Pantry®

Other People's Pantries #184

From Patty, in Chandler, Arizona:

We recently remodeled our kitchen and I'm really enjoying all the changes.

Recipe for Moroccan turkey meatballs

I have a theory about turkey meatballs: you can mix anything from your pantry with ground turkey, and create great meatballs. Okay, maybe not anything, but except for Nutella, I can't think of a pantry staple that wouldn't work. Our latest incarnation, Moroccan turkey meatballs, features ground-chickpea falafel mix in place of breadcrumbs. The warm spices of ras el hanout -- cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric -- give these meatballs the sultry flavor of North Africa, and the dark appearance of... rocks! Oh, well. Forgive the strangely yellowish-brown color, and serve these meatballs in a salad, in a pita stuffed with hummus, or with roasted vegetables and couscous.

Recipe for red cabbage salad with walnuts, raisins, feta, and warm mustard dressing

Offer me a dish of cooked cabbage, and I'll likely wrinkle my nose and whisper a quiet oh-please-no. Some foods I love in their raw state -- carrots, berries, and cabbage, among others -- but not when they're cooked. Maybe it's a texture thing. This red cabbage salad falls somewhere in between raw and cooked. The tangy warm mustard dressing wilts the cabbage just enough to satisfy those who prefer cooked vegetables, while retaining a bit of crunch, too. Add raisins for sweet, and feta for salty, and you have the perfect combination to tease all of the corners of your taste buds. Serve this as a side dish with roast chicken, or rolled up with grilled fish or beef in a taco.

Recipe for slow cooker Thai green curry chicken with broccoli and mushrooms

When I was a little girl, I smeared everything I didn't like (liver, turkey, broccoli) with ketchup to cover up the taste. In my grown-up kitchen Thai curry paste often replaces the ketchup, not for its masking qualities but because I love almost anything cooked with it. Yes, I'll even lap up broccoli when it's cooked in a curry and coconut milk sauce. This Thai green curry chicken adapts to any vegetables you have on hand: asparagus, cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potato. I'm partial to the Maesri and Mae Ploy brands of store-bought green curry paste, because they don't contain cilantro; both are widely available in Asian markets (they come in identical 14-ounce green tubs). Fresh basil is essential in this dish. Out-of-season Genovese basil from the supermarket tastes fine here, and Thai basil from your summer garden -- or from your local Asian grocery -- would be even better.